Composite structures formed from pre-impregnated (pre-preg) material are used in the formation of high strength-low weight structures such as, but not limited to, parts used to build aircraft and spacecraft. Pre-preg material is made of composite fibers such as carbon, glass, aramid and the like, that are bonded together with a resin that is activated with heat to cure. The pre-preg material is typically supplied in sheets or plies having the fibers oriented in a select direction. The manufacturer then forms stacks of plies of pre-preg material on a forming surface of a tool having a desired shape. Once the pre-preg material is formed on the tool, the tool is typically placed in an autoclave or conventional oven to cure the resin thereby forming a composite structure. Any imperfection in the pre-preg that occurs during the forming process weakens the formed composite structure. Moreover, it is difficult to avoid imperfections when the forming surface is in a complex shape such as a curve.
For the reasons stated above and for other reasons stated below which will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the present specification, there is a need in the art for an application head that applies pre-preg on complex forming surfaces of tools without imperfections.